misfortune
gb/mɪsfˈɔɹt͡ʃən/ us/mɪsfˈɔɹt͡ʃən/
B1
English
~ 3100
Senses
0 senses
Noun
B1
event
1
An unlucky or harmful event
Something bad that happens to you by chance.
Usage pattern:
to suffer/experience [a misfortune]
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes confuse 'misfortune' with 'mistake'; 'misfortune' is about bad luck, not doing something wrong.
Synonyms
setback (A temporary problem or delay in progress, not always due to luck.)
|
adversity (A more formal or literary term for serious difficulties or hardships.)
Antonyms
good fortune (A positive or lucky event or situation.)
|
blessing (Something very good that happens, often seen as a gift.)
Collocations
suffer misfortune
|experience misfortune
|stroke of misfortune
|through misfortune
|due to misfortune
Themes
emotions
|daily life
|daily_life
|core_vocabulary
Examples
- She faced many misfortunes after losing her job.
- The accident was a terrible misfortune for the whole family.
- They managed to stay positive despite their misfortunes.
- His greatest misfortune was missing the opportunity to study abroad.
Learner examples
- Losing my wallet was a big misfortune.
- The rain was a misfortune for our picnic.
- He had a misfortune on his way to work.
- It was a misfortune that the bus broke down.
Noun
B2
state
2
Condition of bad luck or trouble
The state of having bad luck in life.
Usage pattern:
to be in [a state of misfortune]
Synonyms
ill luck (A less formal term for general bad luck.)
Antonyms
good luck (The condition of experiencing positive outcomes by chance.)
Collocations
fall into misfortune
|life of misfortune
|plagued by misfortune
Themes
emotions
|daily life
|daily_life
|core_vocabulary
Examples
- He has lived in misfortune since his business failed.
- The family has been in misfortune for years.
- Her misfortune seemed endless after the divorce.
Learner examples
- He lives in misfortune now.
- They are in misfortune after losing their home.
- She has known only misfortune since last year.
Grammar
Dictionary form
misfortune
IPA
GB/mɪsfˈɔɹt͡ʃən/
US/mɪsfˈɔɹt͡ʃən/
Syllables & stress
mis - for - tune (3 syllables)
Stress on 2nd syllable (for)
Word forms
Noun
- Base: misfortune
- Plural: misfortune, misfortunes
Word family
Forms
misfortunes
noun
Core family
Negative and opposite forms
unfortunate
adjective B1
unfortunately
adverb A2
Expressions
by misfortune
3/bˈaɪ mɪsfˈɔɹt͡ʃən/
fixed phrase
formal
Because of bad luck
Because something unlucky happened.
Examples
- By misfortune, the letter never arrived.
- He fell ill by misfortune during the holiday.
ill fortune
1/ˈɪl fˈɔɹt͡ʃun/
fixed phrase
Bad luck or unlucky outcome
Bad luck; when things happen in a way that is not good for you.
Examples
- Through ill fortune, the ship sank before reaching port.
- Ill fortune followed him wherever he went.
stroke of misfortune
2/stɹˈoʊk əv mɪsfˈɔɹt͡ʃən/
fixed phrase
Single unlucky event
A single event of bad luck that causes trouble.
Examples
- Losing his passport was a stroke of misfortune before the trip.
- A sudden illness was another stroke of misfortune for the team.